These skin care ingredients to avoid during pregnancy

If you’re pregnant, chances are, you’re very busy preparing for your little bundle of joy to arrive. Of course, you need to transform that guest room into a nursery, and you also have to baby-proof your home. Your little one’s safety is the most important thing on your mind. But what you may have forgotten is that what you do to yourself could affect your baby. What you feel and what you do to yourself can have a great impact on your baby. Moreover, the things that you eat, as well as the things that you apply on your skin may also affect the growth and development of your precious babe. So these skin care ingredients to avoid during pregnancy.

Because many things that you commonly use can be detrimental to the child in your womb, it is very important to be aware of what these things are. Moisturizers, make-ups or hair dyes may seem ordinary enough for you. However, some of these products contain substances that could harm your baby.

DHA or Dihydroxyacetone

DHA is a chemical found in most tanning creams or sprays. This browns the skin, much like how toasters brown bread. It’s fairly safe to use self-tanning creams or spray-on tans. However, there are studies that imply that DHA may contribute to DNA damage, which means that DNA mutation in exposed unborn children is highly likely. So, if you’re pregnant, maybe getting that beach babe bronzed look should take a backseat until after your baby is born. Don’t go to tanning salons either as exposure to ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures may harm your baby.

Mercury and Hydroquinone

Mercury and hydroquinone are often found in skin lightening creams. High levels of mercury in the bloodstream can damage vital organs, such as the kidney, heart, and brain. Slightly elevated levels of this toxic substance in the blood of a pregnant woman can be very harmful to the fetus. As for hydroquinone, this can aggravate skin problems. Pregnant women experience many bodily and skin changes; and the use of skin lightening creams, soaps or moisturizers may worsen skin discolorations related to pregnancy. Plus, hydroquinone and other types of phenol can be dangerous to fetuses.

Vitamin A – Retinoids

The synthetic substances derived from vitamin A are known as retinoids. You may know this as tretinoin or retinol, which are two examples. Retinoids are commonly used in anti-wrinkle or anti-aging creams. If you are regularly using creams with retinoids, such as Retin-A or Retinol, stop this if you’re pregnant. Experts suggest that it’s harmful to expose a baby to high doses of vitamin A in utero. More importantly, the use of retinoids, such as isotretinoin, which is an oral form of the substance, is very dangerous. This is considered a teratogenic substance, which means that it can cause fetal malformations or birth defects. Isotretinoin is present in Accutane, which is used to treat acne.

Salicylic Acid

Most products that fight acne or pimples contain salicylic acid. This acid has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect. However, doctors often recommend that pregnant women stop using products containing salicylic acid. Although the topical use of the substance is not known to cause any harm to an unborn child, experts still want to stay on the safe side. Similar to oral retinoids, salicylic acid, taken in its oral form, can also cause birth defects. Oral forms of the acid may trigger a number of serious complications during pregnancy as well.